title: Intermediate uveitis: comparison between childhood-onset and adult-onset disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare demographic and clinical data, systemic disease association, visual prognosis, and complications found in childhood and adult onset of intermediate uveitis (IU).
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective cohort study of 287 patients with IU: 122 (42.5%) children at onset (<16 years), 165 (57.5%) adults. The data were entered on a computer-based standardized data entry form for statistical analysis. Student t test was used regarding differences in means. To assess significance of differences in proportions, we used the χ2 test, but when the population in the subgroup was ≤ 5 patients, we used the Fisher exact test (p<0.05 were deemed to be statistically significant and as reported were not corrected for multiple testing and so should be viewed as nominal).
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 61% of childhood-onset cases occurred in boys (44% in the adult group), while adult onset was more common in women (56% vs 39%) (p = 0.004, odds ratio [OR] 2.06). Regardless of the onset age, IU was frequently bilateral and idiopathic. The most frequent complication was cystoid macular edema (27.5%, p = 0.469, OR 0.85), which was also the most frequent cause of visual loss. Optic disc edema was more prevalent in children (15.5% vs 9.2%; p = 0.027, OR 1.81), ocular hypertension in adults (15.6% vs 7.5%, p = 0.007, OR 0.44). A total of 25 patients had non-idiopathic IU. A total of 14 patients had multiple sclerosis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Intermediate uveitis was mostly idiopathic and bilateral in both groups. Visual prognosis was good and it was not age-related. Childhood onset was more frequent in boys, adult onset in women. Endocrinal factors could be involved.
authors.affiliation: Ocular Immunovirolgy Service, University of Rome Sapienza, Rome - Italy.
authors.forename: Maria Pia
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Paroli
authors.forename: Irene
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Abicca
authors.forename: Alfredo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sapia
authors.forename: Simone
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bruschi
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pivetti Pezzi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D017668:Age of Onset; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005128:Eye Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D017678:Sex Distribution; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence; D015867:Uveitis, Intermediate / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult